Farmers should be prepared to have animal welfare become a more significant factor in accessing international markets.
"Animal welfare in trade is a growing area," says Dr. Ed Pajor, animal welfare professor at the University of Calgary. "It's definitely on the horizon and a good reason why animal welfare needs to be taken seriously."
Pajor notes, until now, the World Trade Organization's "like product" rules have not recognized differences in the way an animal was raised.
"However, there's a great deal of work being done now to create international standards that could potentially be used for those purposes. There's also work being done by economists who are saying 'if consumers differentiate between products because of how they're produced, potentially they're no longer like products and could be used as trade barriers,' " explains Pajor.
Even if the WTO isn't recognizing animal welfare standards yet, Pajor says large companies are increasingly including animal welfare requirements in their deals with suppliers.
"Animal welfare standards, certification, verification...are part of doing business in agriculture now. It is about market access."
"Animal welfare in trade is a growing area," says Dr. Ed Pajor, animal welfare professor at the University of Calgary. "It's definitely on the horizon and a good reason why animal welfare needs to be taken seriously."
Pajor notes, until now, the World Trade Organization's "like product" rules have not recognized differences in the way an animal was raised.
"However, there's a great deal of work being done now to create international standards that could potentially be used for those purposes. There's also work being done by economists who are saying 'if consumers differentiate between products because of how they're produced, potentially they're no longer like products and could be used as trade barriers,' " explains Pajor.
Even if the WTO isn't recognizing animal welfare standards yet, Pajor says large companies are increasingly including animal welfare requirements in their deals with suppliers.
"Animal welfare standards, certification, verification...are part of doing business in agriculture now. It is about market access."
Fri, Apr 26, 8:00 AM
Agriculture, Entry-Level, Full-time
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